Tourists revel in goo at Spain tomato-squishing fiesta

People lay in a puddle squashed tomatoes, during the annual "tomatina" tomato fight fiesta in the village of Bunol, 50 kilometers outside Valencia, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014. AP Photo

Half-naked revellers pelted each other with tomatoes and bathed in red goo on Wednesday in Spain's Tomatina, a fiesta that draws thousands each year for "the world's biggest food fight".
       
Locals and visitors from as far away as Australia, Japan and the United States crammed into the eastern town of Bunol as mushy tomatoes flew in every direction in a world-famous orgy of mush.
       
"It was mental. Crazy. People jumping around, throwing tomatoes and slipping over," said Alex Harris, 20, from Dorset in England, his T-shirt torn and chest drenched in juice.
       
"It was awesome. Hectic, chaotic, not for the claustrophobic," said Ben Brown, a London-based Australian with a head plastered with red pulp. "It's the most fun you'll have in an hour in your life."        
One of Spain's quirkiest and best-known tourist draws, the Tomatina was stained this year by a row over its privatisation.
       
Mindful of safety and money, the indebted local authorities last year began charging revellers an entry fee and hired a private company, Spaintastic, to sell tickets.
       
The town hall said it had to improve safety at the wild festival, which before the privatisation drew 40,000 revellers to the town, quadrupling its population. Places are now limited to 22,000.
       
"The essence of the Tomatina had been lost. There was no space and it was quite dangerous," Bunol's deputy mayor Rafael Perez told AFP.
       
"Now it is much more enjoyable," he added. The entry fee for the sell-out event "has enabled us to finance the fiesta and make it safer".
       
Revellers glugged pints of beer and sangria until trucks loaded with 125,000 tomatoes rolled through Bunol's narrow streets and teams on board heaped the squishy load onto the heads of the crowd.
                       
The iconic food fight has long been a draw for foreigners.
       
"In Japan lots of people want to come to the Tomatina because it's a crazy festival," said Ayano Saito, a 25-year-old woman from Tokyo.
       
"This is the fourth time I've come to Bunol. I come every year," yelled another Japanese visitor, Masaki Ito, 33, his gold jumpsuit splattered with pulp.
       
Locals hung great blue tarpaulins over their shops and houses to avoid a splattering.
       
The privatisation of the lucrative event has sparked squabbling among politicians in the town.
       
Spain's governing conservative Popular Party --  in opposition in Bunol -- has demanded an investigation into whether the process was carried out legally by the town hall, led by the United Left party.
       
"We cannot look the other way when there has been a suspected case of corruption in an illegal privatisation of the festival," the PP's local spokesman Marcial Diaz told AFP, alleging there had been no public bidding process for the contract.
       
The deputy mayor Perez dismissed the PP's lawsuit as "a purely political move".
       
"They are soiling the image of Bunol and of the Tomatina. But we are not worried," he said. "We have most of the people of Bunol on our side."        

Giordano Mahr, 75, saw his favourite town centre bar boarded up on Wednesday to shield it from a sloshing with tomato juice, but he did not mind.
       
"This is a unique fiesta. We really enjoy it. It brings a lot of benefits to the town," he said.
      
Like many Spanish towns since the start of the financial crisis, Bunol is deep in debt -- five million euros ($6.6 million), according to a study by financial newspaper Cinco Dias.
       
The Tomatina started in 1945 when locals brawling at a folk festival seized tomatoes from a greengrocer's stall and let loose

Black Sea’s Cappadocia looks for promotion

Dilim Kayalar is located three-kilometers-away from the district of Gökçeli and draws attention with its magnificent geological structure, canyons and natural beauty.

Dilim Kayalar, which was formed with the corrosion of rocks in the northern province of Tokat, resembles the famous fairy chimneys in the Cappadocia region. The area needs more attention for promotion.

Dilim Kayalar is located three-kilometers-away from the district of Gökçeli and draws attention with its magnificent geological structure, canyons and natural beauty. The rocks, which have been subject to many legends in the region for many years, offer various opportunities for nature lovers, photography and geo- and eco-tourism aficionados. In the region, the lifestyle of villagers can also be seen in agricultural and promenade areas and plateaus.

President of the Association for the Conservation of Geological Heritage (JEMIRKO) Professor Nizamettin Kazancı said the geological formations in Niksar should turn into a geo-park in order to provide economical benefits and draw the attention of the international scientific world to the region. 

Stating that Dilim Kayalar was an attractive region, Kazancı said, “Interesting geographical formations have formed here. This is an extraordinary touristic place. This place has appeared with the corrosion of current rocks. It is the same in Ürgüp and Göreme in the Cappadocia region. This is a very nice result of the Black Sea region’s rainy climate. Dilim Kayalar is the Cappadocia of the Black Sea region. Nature lovers, trekking and geo-tourism aficionados should pay attention to this area.” 

Kazancı said local administrations should apply to the Mineral Research and Exploration Institute (MTA) General Directorate or JEMIRKO for the rocks’ geological features to be studied. 

He said the rocks were a significant tourism platform for Tokat and Niksar, adding, “First of all, local administrations should do something about this place; their support is necessary, otherwise nothing will happen. This is a magnificent place to see, the infrastructure for tourism is ready. The rest is up to the local administers.”

Niksar Nature Sports Association President İlker Melikoğlu said Dilim Kayalar covered an area of nearly five kilometers. The rocks, which have been formed through the corrosion of rivers and floods, were also known as “Kırgıbayır,” he said. 

“This, geographically, is an important formation, as well as ecotourism and geo-tourism. We are introducing this place for the first time. We will definitely bring our foreign guests to this place. This region is one of the rare places, a must-see for everyone. The villagers’ lifestyles here may also draw travelers’ attention,” he said.

VIP tour to Agiasos

We, as people who work for the media, are lucky people. Many doors will be exclusively opened for us, while for the “ordinary” people, those doors will remain closed. When I was at Lesbos Island, I traveled around as an ordinary tourist, but it was in Agiasos that I saw something I had never seen before. I was not alone; together, with a small group of people we were visiting Agiasos and it was Aris Lazaris, who opened the doors that otherwise would have stayed closed. The only, for me, very serious bummer was I was not allowed to take any pictures. I was tempted to take some sneaky pictures, but did not want to put Aris in a difficult situation, so unfortunately there are no pictures of the treasures I will write about. 

It was early in the morning and it was already burning hot. Together with four other people, we left Mytilini to go to Agiasos. Driving through the forest, every now and then, we had a peek of the landscape behind. It was after a 30-minute-ride that we could see Agiasos far away on the top of a mountain. It looked as if it was a small place and yes indeed, once we arrived in Agiasos, it indeed turned out to be a little village, but with great historical importance.

As small as it may be, Agiasos is a very dynamic village. As where some places are famous for just one thing, Agiasos has at least five different and very interesting things to offer. Let’s start with music; Aris led us into a library. It was an ordinary building, but the secret was in a room beyond the library. Here, an old man was teaching a young boy how to play the santur, a beautiful and old stringed instrument. Behind him in the library were hundreds, maybe even thousands, of antique books. When we entered, the man stopped playing music and looked at us. It was impossible to communicate with the guy because the only language he knew was Greek, but the he started communicating with his music. First, a couple of Greek classics and as a last piece he played a famous Turkish song called Üsküdar. 

Orthodox church

Walking over the little cobble stones, we finally were in the center of the village and our next stop was a church. Of course, I know howOrthodox churches look, I had seen some in Turkey, but I was curious if there would be any differences between the Orthodox churches inGreece and Turkey. At a first glance, it all looked the same but then, all of a sudden, I realized the churches here were richer than the churches in Turkey. The churches in Greece are alive; I mean, the Greek people frequently and, for different reasons, visit the churches on a regular basis. In Turkey though, the group of people who visit theGreek Orthodox Church has minimized and this also is reflected in the church. They are less alive.

All the authentic icons I saw and all of them were old, very old. In the middle of the church I saw a beautiful chandelier made of wood. Agiasos is famous for its wood carving works and here was a perfect example of why it was famous. It was a giant chandelier and it was perfect. Everywhere in the village you can find little workshops where you see what the craftsmen are making. Chandeliers, chests, candleholders, chairs or tables; whatever can be made of wood, those craftsmen will make it. Their work is not cheap, but when you take into consideration that they use walnut or olive tree wood for it, I think they ask a fair price for their products. Aris asked us to come with us since there was still a lot to do and to see. “We will go to one of the most special places on the island,” he told us. “What you are about to see is unique. I am the only one who, sometimes, has permission to show these places.” 
We left the church, Aris left us for 20 seconds, came back with a smile on his face and we went into the direction of a door. Just a door… An ordinary, boring door! It was dark inside, but once Aris switched on the light I became speechless. 

The room was filled from the floor up to the ceiling with offerings. 

The first thing that caught my eye was a model of a beautiful building. An Italian man gave this beautiful and very detailed mockup in 1450. He visited Agiasos two years before to pray for his health. The prayer was overheard, he was cured and the man gave, as an offering, this impressive mockup. It is said that Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo worked on it together.

Besides all the gold, beautiful dresses (also decorated with gold), watches etc. there were two more impressive offerings. I saw some miniature paintings showing biblical scenes. The pictures were so small, but every detail was clearly visible. And last, but not least were handwritten bibles, the Mathew, Luke and John bibles. These bibles were the only bibles of their kind in the world and came from a woman who used to live in Thessaloniki. They were given in 1714 and are 24-carat golden and handwritten bibles. The bibles are 1,500-years-old, decorated with 24 carat gold.

Nearby the church, there are some nice little cafés where you can buy coffee, lemonade or ouzo. There was one café that offered something else though; a drink called Cherez…

Cherez is made from cherries and is a kind of liquor with a lot of herbs. The taste is fantastic and it felt as if this would be a nice drink to have in your corner against a cold or the flu. 

Paying Turkish Liras

Agiasos is such a nice and cute village. Small streets, not too many, make it into the center of the village. Everywhere there are flowers, wood and ceramic workshops and little cute souvenir shops. It was here that I saw one of the best entrances to a public toilet. It was a narrow alley and looked like a kind of bonsai lane; with plants and greenery everywhere. It was fun to go to the toilet here. The number of Turkish tourists was quite overwhelming; so many visit Agiasos that you can even pay with the Turkish Lira here. 

On our way back out of the village, I saw this little pottery workshop. An old man was painting a pottery landscape with beautiful pastel colors. Of course, the famous “Greek blue” was there as well. The man, used to thousands of tourists visiting his workshop, did not look up when I entered. Instead, a woman approached me and said if I wanted something I could call her. After that, she turned around and walked to the old master. I took a couple of pictures, wished them a good day and left.

Aris knew a good restaurant near the sea. You might know that Lesbos has a huge connected inner sea. Years ago, in this area there used to be many tanneries. They prepared leather for all different products and used to dump all the dirty water in the sea. One day they had to close their doors and from that day on, slowly the inner sea could clean itself up. Nowadays, the quality of the water is perfect again and many fish that once avoided the inner sea came back and their numbers are increasing. At the narrowest point of the inner sea, a boat was waiting to bring us to the other side of the inner sea. It was at the other side that we had our late lunch. 

A five-minute boat trip later and we had already reached the mainland again. Right at the seaside was Efkaliptos restaurant in Panagiouda village. Probably the most popular restaurant in town, it was almost empty when we arrived. Greek people eat late, very late. In general, you will not see Greek people eating before 9 p.m. and it was just 4 p.m. The fridge was filled with all different kinds of appetizers and each looked more delicious than the others. It was so difficult to make a choice, so I told the waitress to surprise us with some appetizers. Fried Feta cheese, fresh green beans, fried flowers of the Courgette, some nice yoghurt, calamari and octopus came to the table. The food was delicious; it was so fresh and tasteful. I was happy I did not order any main dish; everything I ate was so satisfying that if I would have continued, it would not have been possible to appreciate the rest of the food

Historical island to host visitors

People are only allowed to walk up to the wire-fence areas around the island, which will open next year. DHA Photo

The historical Tavşan Island off the coast of Bodrum’s Gümüşlük neighborhood, which has been closed for the last five years due to excavation works, will open to visitors next year. 

Among the items that were discovered on the island, which will also be open to the public next year, is a church, its cisterns, the graves of religious men and their relatives who were believed to have been killed while they proselytized, their skulls, columns of an ancient temple and the houses of clerics.

“We opened the island to visitors last year in the month of Ramadan and some 50,000 people visited a significant part of the ancient site. For the last few years, those who want to go to the island are only allowed to walk up to the wire-fence areas. Excavations will continue in different areas of the island,” said Professor Mustafa Şahin, who is head of the excavations on the island

Tastes of Istanbul in 24 hours

08.00 - 09.00

Breakfast by the Bosphorus

In the early hours of the morning, the misty view of the Bosphorus is pristine. That’s why you should have your breakfast at the famous Sarıyer Börekçisi. The restaurant, which is on the road from Sarıyer’s center to the Rumeli Kavağı, has been the connoisseur of breakfasts for over a century. I suggest the spinach pie… If you insist on “Watching the Bosphorus while breakfasting,” then you should start your journey from Kireçburnu. The simits of Kireçburnu patisserie are quite delicious. Best eaten hot, freshly out of oven. Take a few and sit on one of the banks by the sea. Don’t worry, the waiter will bring your tea. Watch Paşabahçe and Beykoz wake up on the opposite side while the cold breeze from the Black Sea envelopes you. But don’t forget that you’ll have a late lunch, so don’t be shy about buying more simit.


09.00 - 10.00

Walk by the Bosphorus

When your breakfast is done, take a walk by the sea. Kalender, Tarabya. On your right, mansions that still stand tall and on your left, the Bosphorus flowing like a river. You’ll see amateur fishermen on the coast. Have a look at them for a while. And it is alright to think about the lives in the mansions on the other side of the road. You can make up a different story for each mansion. I know you’re getting tired, you can sit on one of the banks by the sea and breathe the fresh air of the sea. Don’t worry, the walk will terminate at Yeniköy, because there, the mansions will cover the view of the sea like a wall. If you want to rest before taking a shuttle, bus or a taxi, you have to turn to the coast from the traffic lights. Sipping a tea while watching the sea from Yeniköy Kahvesi is delightful.


10.00 - 11.00

Emirgan Joyride

When you pass Yeniköy and İstinye, get out at Emirgan. You have to linger in the most beautiful district of Istanbul. Sit either at the seaside cafés or under the trees of Emirgan Park. The tea gardens by the coast are the symbol of Istanbul. Sitting in those gardens while drinking tea with family was the most enjoyable part of my childhood. Also one should note that the Sunday breakfast in those cafes are of exquisite quality.


11.00 – 12.30

A Look From Aşiyan

Our next stop is Bebek. If you like to walk, I advise you to leave your car in front of the Rumeli Fort (Rumelihisarı). Have you ever been inside this castle that you see from postcards and pass in front of it? If you continue to walk along the coast, you’ll see a slope on the right, which will take you to Aşiyan.  If you go up this road, you’ll end up in the house of the famous poet, Tevfik Fikret. You’ll face an astonishing panorama when you look at the sea from Aşiyan. I’m pretty sure that you’ll say: “I would be a poet too if I lived here,” when you look at that panorama. I have said the same thing for 40 years, each time I go to Aşiyan.


12.30 – 13.30

Ortaköy Time

Don’t worry, you’re not going to walk anymore. You’ll get in a taxi and head straight to Ortaköy. This is the district I have been living in for 25 years. I’m not going to disturb you with my memories. Ortaköy was beautiful in the past, and is beautiful now. Only a little more crowded. Pass through the narrow streets and go to the square. Sit in one of the cafés and watch one of the most beautiful mosques on earth, the Ortaköy Mosque, and the bridge above. This scene will look familiar, because it is commonly used in adverts, brochures and postcards about Istanbul.


13.30 – 14.30

Fish Sandwich Feast

It’s time to leave the Bosphorus and head to Eminönü. You won’t see much from the road covered like a tunnel by century-old sycamore trees. By the time you reach Eminönü, the breakfast you had should already be gone. Now it’s street food time. The fish which is cooked on the huge pans on the boats attached between the ferries, await you between slices of bread. There’s no fresh fish in this season, but don’t worry that the fish comes out of the fridge, because they’re still delicious. A fish sandwich is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Istanbul. Don’t get hung up on things such as health conditions – no one has been hospitalized due to a fish sandwich. You can watch the streets of Cihangir, Karaköy and Salıpazar, the Galata Tower and Beyoğlu on the other coast, while eating your lunch. The only expense for this view is a fish sandwich. If you still don’t want to eat a fish sandwich, you can try Hamdi Restaurant behind the bus stops; its kebab and view are magnificent. You can also try the historical Pandelli at the entrance of the Mısır bazaar or Rumeli Köftecisi, on Hocapaşa Street, at the start of the Cağaloğlu slope.


14.30 – 17.30

Historical Peninsula

You have to be on the move after quenching your hunger. You’ll have to walk uphill a bit. You should take Cağaloğlu slope to Sultanahmet. It is not an ordinary slope. It is the slope that was used for vezirs, writers, journalists and politicians in the Ottoman era. Buildings that were once filled with the smell of ink are now occupied by other jobs. There is a lot to see in Sultanahmet Square. The Hippodrome, the world’s greatest mosque, the German Fountain, Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace. You do not have time to fully visit all of these places. Pick one that you are really interested in and spend most of your time there. You may take a fast look at the others.


17.30 – 19.30

Golden Horn

The day is about to turn to night. Time is running out, and you have to hurry up a bit. You should now go back to Eminönü. Take a ride from there and follow the coast of the Golden Horn (Haliç). Balat, Fener, Alibeyköy, Eyüp are among the oldest districts in Istanbul. These are not places to pass by. You need days to explore these neighborhoods. You should be at Pierre Loti during sunset, on the hills of Eyüp. A café named after the famous French writer is one of the must-see places of Istanbul.


19.30 – 24.00

Eating, Drinking

When the sun sets and the sky is painted red, take a cab and tell the driver to take you to Tünel in Karaköy. This century-old tram of İstanbul will take you to the end of Beyoğlu, Tünel. From this district, which is home to cafés, art galleries and jazz bars, you can walk up to Taksim. Never go toward toward Asmalımescit, Müeyyet, Sofyalı and Şeyhbender. These districts are so seducing that you won’t be able to get out of them again. I advise you to visit Çiçek Passage first, when you reach Galatasaray. The delicious food there will surely water your mouth. Now it is time to dine with a couple of drinks. Your table is reserved in Nevizade, about 300 meters away from Çiçek Passage. I leave you to yourself on this street. You are free to order anything you want. All the mezzes are fresh.


24.00 – ...

Are You Done Or Not?

You have to get onto İstiklal Avenue after the dinner. You’ll move on to Taksim Square. I suggest the chestnut twists of the Saray patisserie while moving upwards. You have to decide when you reach Taksim Square; “Are you done or not?” If the answer is yes, you have to find transport to get back to your place. If you’re not, you should take a cab and go back to the Bosphorus again. All the bars and clubs between Ortaköy and Bebek await you. These are the temples of nightlife in Istanbul. You may have some hard time with the bouncers at the door but do not force your luck if you can’t get in. Your whole day may end badly. For munchies, I suggest the travelling köfte vendors at Akıntıburnu, or Ali Baba’s in Arnavutköy. If you can extend your route, you can also end the day in Apik Restaurant in Dolapdere.

The great attraction of Cappadocia's frescoes

The frescoes displayed at the Göreme Open Air Museum in Central Anatolia’s region of Cappadocia, one of Turkey’s popular tourism spots, draw great attention from tourists. 

Göreme Mayor Nuri Cingil said the region welcomed 2.5 million tourists from Turkey and the world and the Göreme Open Air Museum was the most visited place. The museum, he said, was visited by 950,000 people a year, and ranked third among the most visited ancient sites in the country. 

He said monastery life had existed in the area of the open air museum and the wall paintings in the churches were attractive for visitors.

Cingil said in the past, locals were lighting fires in the churches and that smudged the paintings on the wall. “The paintings were discovered during restorations and they still keep their liveliness even today.”

Cingil said the Göreme Open Air Museum, which was built by Kayseri pontiff St. Basil in the 4th century as a religious education and meditation center, included churches built within rocks, chapels, dining halls and sitting areas. Women’s and Men’s Monastery, 

St. Basil Church, Elmalı Church, St. Barbara Church, Yılanlı Church, Karanlık Church, Çarıklı Church and Tokalı Church are in the museum, he said, and continued: “The churches in the open air museum are considered the places where the monastery education system was initiated. They were painted with two technics. In the first technic, the rock’s surface was improved and painted and in the second one, a water-based painting was used to make frescoes.”

Cingil said the life of Jesus and statements from the Bible were depicted in the churches. “Because the small window in the entrance of the Karanlık Church reflects very low light, the colors in the frescoes are vivid there. The church has a rich decorations, depicting stories from the Bible and images of Jesus,” he said. 

Cingil said there were also scenes from the Old Testament of the Bible in other structures of the open air museum such as Elmalı and Çarıklı churches. “In the other churches, we see portraits Jesus, Mary and child, St. Theodore, St. George fighting a dragon and the depictions of respected saints in Cappadocia. Some churches’ walls have the cross and geometrical motifs made with red paint. The Göreme Open Air Museum is the most popular place among visitors,” Cingil said. The Göreme Open Air Museum has been a member of the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1984, and was one of the first two UNESCO sites in Turkey.

October/10/2014

4 a.m. fishing with the Bohemian philosopher of the Bosphorus

Captain Mesut, born and raised in Üsküdar, has been fishing since his childhood. Witnessing and recording each change in its waters, he has grown increasingly concerned about its future.
 
The coast of Üsküdar: The Maiden’s Tower shines like a pear on the calm waters before me, and the full moon slides past the historical peninsula’s minarets. Even the ecstasy of those dancing to traditional folk music on the shore does not distract me from the panorama. When I turn my head to the right toward the dancing group, I see tall skyscrapers in the background. Right at this moment, the person I am waiting for arrives. He is a fisherman of the Bosphorus since his childhood: Mesut Soydaner, known as Captain Mesut.
 
“You are more beautiful than last time,” he says, pointing to the moon setting over the Hagia Sophia. “I look at this panorama everyday. Even when I am fishing.”

 

Captain Mesut has not been able to leave the Bosphorus since his childhood, which he spent at its shores. Almost all 61 years of his life have taken place on these waters.
 
Mesut left university, where he studied business management, after his third year, and now looks after himself as a fisherman of 34 years. “Fishing is a bohemian job,” he says. “Maybe that’s why I liked it. I left university and never thought of it again.”
 
Mesut was able to raise and educate both of his sons through his fishing, and he sees the Bosphorus differently than many others in Istanbul: both with love and gratitude.
 
He has kept a diary of these past 34 years, detailing which fish were in the Bosphorus, where and when they passed at each time. Now his diary even sheds light on academic research: Mesut exchanges notes with underwater biologists.
 
At sunrise, a certain melancholy becomes apparent in his face. “Aren’t you going to resign?” I ask. “When the last fish dies,” he answers, motioning toward the skyscrapers. Then he nods.
 
“As an Indian said, when the last fish dies, we’ll understand that money isn’t edible,” Mesut says. “I wish that we could have understood that we eat fish, not money. Maybe then we would know the value of the sea.”

 
We lay the 400-meter long net to the still-dark waters of the Bosphorus. His actions come with the confidence of experience. He warns me, mockingly, “Never write where we dropped our net.”
 
Before I can even ask, Mesut offers more details on the changes he has witnessed.
 
“Ninety percent of both the fish and Bosphorus are gone,” he explains. In his childhood, he relates, he used to watch this water from a jetty: “It was like an aquarium, full of fish…clear, rich and shiny.” Mesut stresses that this is no longer the case.
 
“We destroyed the ecologic balance,” he says, while laying out his methods. “I sometimes use a fishing rod. Depending on the depth, sometimes there are 3-and-a-half kilograms of weight attached to it. When I pull the weight back, it turns black. Now there’s a sewer at the bottom of the Bosphorus.”
 
Mesut has experienced firsthand what this means. “We polluted the Bosphorus too much with our waste, and the fish deserted us,” he says. “Swallows, bream, horse mackerels, silverbacks, lobsters, swordfish… all of them are gone.” He says that now he only sees scorpion fish, bluefish, and tuna, all of which also face extinction. The last time he caught a Bonito was in 1985, he remembers. “I know they still pass through the Bosphorus, but they don’t breed here anymore.”
 
After a moment of silence, it’s time to check the nets. He pulls the net out, facing towards the sunrise over the historical peninsula. We were only able to catch a few kilograms of red mullet. “Greed and our changing relationships caused this situation,” he says.
 
“Why has it happened like that?” I ask. From his silence, I understand that he finds my question too naive. He points at the skyscrapers beside him, and then at the wall between Üsküdar’s coastal road and the sea.
 
“Look,” he says. “There’s no cove or coast anymore. The rivers that used to flow into the Bosphorus in the past are no longer.” Without looking, he points to the skyscrapers again. “It’s as if a child is drawing on a paper. As the city rose, the water below became darker. I saw it day by day.”
 
Mesut says he sees the same root cause behind the construction of skyscrapers and the pollution of the sea. “Our lifestyle has changed. The tolerant and helpful relationship between people is no more,” he says, remembering his childhood, when his mother used to clean a mosque with her Bulgarian neighbor. “But now there is no such tolerance. Everybody is in competition with each other. Skyscrapers are the symbol of this rivalry. When the relationship between humans is damaged, you can drain seas and destroy forests,” he says.

 
We watch Istanbul, between both coasts: The skyscrapers on one, the historical peninsula on the other. After sunrise, the city’s hustle and bustle increases. I understand that this city has become too crowded to remain calm at any hour.
 
We dock at the Maiden’s Tower to look over the fish caught in our nets.
 
“You know what?” Mesut asks. “Now there are sea breams in the Bosphorus. Last year, I even caught a sea turtle. I have held account of the Bosphorus for 34 years, but I do not understand it anymore.”